The Cardinals could finish off with the preseason with a win as the Broncos stormed back with 18 points in the fourth quarter, but the silver lining to this preseason loss is that the team got through the preseason with no major injuries. There were a big scare though when starting left tackle went down hard favoring a knee and at first it didn't look good at all. He was able to get up and walk off the field though and amazingly, only missed two plays. The only injury of any concern sustained last night was a sprained ankle to Alan Branch, who looked very good before going down. With the preseason coming to an end and roster cuts looming (by 4pm EST today), here's a quick look at some positives from the game:

• Matt Leinart looked really good. I don't know if he made up for last week's performance but if Whisenhunt was on the fence going into the game, his decision only got tougher. Matt led two scoring drives and ended up 10 of 14 for 177 and a touchdown.
• JJ Arrington continues to impress. He's finally running with some authority and if he keeps this up he could end up pushing Edge and Hightower for a handful of carries a game.
• I continue to be impressed by how well the young players are playing. Guys like Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema, Lance Long and Elliot Vallejo all had great games. Campbell and Iwebema got quite a bit of playing time and they handled the rush as well as the pass. Lance Long finally got significant snaps in a game and the little man hauled in four passes for 48 yards. I really tried to zero in on Vallejo while he was on the field and I continue to like what I see in him. Granted he wasn't playing against anyone of note but he stands out when he's with the second group.
• When was the last time you watched an entire Cardinals game and only saw two flags against the Cards? Well that was the case last night as they only got flagged twice for 15 yards. It's too early to tell if this is a trend or an abberation but for one night it was good to see.

Obviously you cant' have a loss without some negatives though:

• Five turnovers is a killer no matter who you're playing. For the second consecutive game, Hightower had a fumble and this time the Cardinals didn't recover. Matt and Steve Blaylark also chipped in with fumbles but the real buzz-kill was two interceptions by Anthony Morelli. One of the picks was returned for a touchdown and sealed the loss.

That's all I've really got right now. What did you guys see and did anyone's performance win them a job or roster spot?

One more preseason game then they start counting for real. I'm concerned with one thing above all else, stay healthy. Win, lose or draw, I'll be happy if we get out of this game injury-free. As for the Broncos, we'll be playing their B-team as they're not expected to play many starters at all. Warner will start with Matty coming off the bench with the second string and by the second half it should be all backups or third sting guys.

As always, GO CARDINALS!!!

As expected the Cardinals made the necessary cut one day early and here's the guys who received their walking papers:

• Marcus Brown (CB)
  
• Jemalle Cornelius (WR)
• Hercules Satele (OG/C)
• Bryan Robinson (DE) (the undrafted rookie, not the veteran)

None of these names are terribly surprising although I was hoping that Brown and Satele would at least make it to the final cut. Brown is a good sized corner with above average athleticism who was trying to transition from tiny D-1AA McNeese State to the professional level. Satele is somewhat surprising considering that he was the second team center when Al Johnson went down. He had experience at both guard and center and there were some reports that the coaching staff was impressed with him, but obviously it didn't translate to success during the preseason. All four players are still practice squad eligible. Thoughts?

It's hard to imagine that the Cardinals shut out an opponent for just the second time since 1992 (one regular season, one preseason) and the defensive performance wasn't the story of the game. The defense held the Raiders' quarterbacks to less than 50% completion percentage and allowed just 2.9 yards per rush but this game will be remembered for what Matt Leinart couldn't do instead of what the defense did. Here's a quick recap of the highs and lows of the Cardinals' second preseason win:

Defensive Dominance: Those two words aren't normally thrown around in Arizona but that's exactly what the defense did on Saturday. The Raiders had several opportunities to put points on the board but two failed fourth down conversions and a missed field goal preserved the 'goose-egg.' The defense was equally dominant against the run and pass and forced the Raiders offense to six 'three and out' series. They held the Raider passing offense to just 3.0 yards per passing play and pressured the quarterbacks all night finishing with four sacks. Equally dominant was the rushing defense, who allowed just 2.9 yards per rush and not a single run over eight yards. In total they allowed just 165 yards to the Raiders and showed why they expect to be a much better defense in 2008.

Running Game Gaining Ground: The Cardinals finished with over 200 yards on the ground (215 to be exact) and that's quite an accomplishment for a team that finished the 2007 season as one of the worst running teams in the league. They got solid contributions from top to bottom and finished with a 5.5 yards per carry average. They scored two touchdowns on the ground (they only scored 9 in all of 2007) and ripped off several long gains. The longest run of the night was a 67 yarder by J.J. Arrington and Hightower and Chris Vincent each chipped in with a carry over 20 yards. The strong running game also allowed the Cardinals to dominate the time of possession (34:25 to 25:35) for the first time this preseason and it was never more evident than on their first drive of the fourth quarter when they used up over nine minutes of the fifteen minute quarter. It's too early to say that the running game is fixed but it's pretty clear that they should be much improved from last season.

Penalties Just Won't Go Away: After a one game absence the penatly problem re-emerged and it's obvious that Coach Whisenhunt is growing tired of the bone-head penalties. They finished with nine penalties for 65 yards and included everything from encroachment/offsides (4 times), holding (twice), delay of game (twice) and an unnecessary roughness. They also had another penalty that was declined. The tipping point for Whiz came early in the game when Darnell Dockett picked up an unnecessary roughness during the return of Karlos Dansby's interception. Whiz immediately pulled Dockett aside and he watched from the sidelines for the next two defensive series. Sitting guys down on the bench might be the only way to get through to these guys that stupid, selfish penalties will not be tolerated.

Special Teams Still Not Special: Other than Neil Rackers having a good game (one field goal and three extra points) the special teams struggled again this week. Dirk Johnson couldn't duplicate his performance last week (47.7 avg, 41.3 net avg) and his three punts only averaged just 43 yards and ended up with a 37 net yard average. An even bigger problem at the moment seems to be the kickoff coverage which allowed 110 yards on just four returns (27.5 yard avg). Through the first three games of the preseason the coverage units have allowed a 27.7 yard average on kickoff returns and at that rate they'll have to depend on Rackers booting every kickoff into the endzone.

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Matt's performance or lack thereof (four completions, three interceptions) will be the storyline of the game but the Cardinals did some things that are very encouraging. If the Cardinals defense and running game perform like this during the regular season (and no I'm not saying that the defense will or can pitch 16 shutouts) this team will be successful regardless of who is lined up under center. So what did you think? Encouraged or is the QB cloud to big to think about anything else?

Well the Arizona Cardinals players, coaches and staff have left Flagstaff meaning that another training camp is officially in our rear view mirror. This will ultimately go down as a training camp that was dominated by the Boldin's trade demands but for now we can't forget that many other things were accomplished and some questions still need to be answered.

Compliment to Edge: Edgerrin James hasn't been the elite back that the Cardinals thought they were getting when the signed him as a free agent but he hasn't had much help either. His first year in the desert he ran behind a horrible offensive line and he's never had a legitimate backup to give him a break and share the load. The Cardinals seem to have given him some help this year though with rookie Tim Hightower. At the very least Hightower should take over the short yardage and goal line carries and he could be on the fast track to a future starting role. Hightower's shown quick feet, good vision and an unexpected burst that that has caused quite the stir among coaches and fans alike.

Defensive Depth: We all know that the defense fell of a cliff last year after injuries to several key players robbed the unit of their explosive play makers. They didn't have the depth to be competitive last year but things have changed in 2008. The front seven looks to have solid players two deep at nearly every position. The offseason acquisitions of Travis LaBoy, Clark Haggans, Bryan Robinson and Matt Stewart have infused quality depth in to a front seven that desperately needed it. All four of them have starting experience in the this league and their mix of youth and veteran leadership could help vault this defense into the upper half of the league.

BJ's Replacement: Heading into the offseason we weren't quite sure who would replace Bryant Johnson as the third receiver and the options included as many as five names. By the first preseason game though, the competition was all but over. Steve Breaston followed up an impressive mini-camp with an equally, if not more impressive training camp and preseason. He brings the kind of speed and quickness to the wide receiver corps that they haven't had in a while. He looks like he's poised for a great sophomore season and provide a unique compliment to the Pro Bowl duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

Where's the Tight Ends?: Before camp the tight end group looked deep, talented and poise for a breakout, but with camp over and the pre-season halfway over we've seen very little the group. Leonard Pope was recovering from an ankle injury and even though he hasn't missed any practices, he hasn't shown much in game time to convince anyone that he's truly 100%. Ben Patrick looked like he was ready to challenge Pope for the starting job but a high ankle sprain against the Chiefs will keep him out until at least the opener. They even had to sign a tight end of the streets after Troy Bienemann couldn't get healthy. Through two games the tight ends have combined for 3 receptions for 23 yards and that kind of production won't get the job done.

Are the Special Teams really special?: The Cardinals lost four games by less than a touchdown and in those games Neil Rackers missed 3 field goals, including losses to Baltimore, Washington, and San Francisco. When the season ended the Cardinals were 31st in the league in field goal percentage and one of only ten teams to miss an extra point. There was some thought that Rackers would have a better year in 2008 because he likes Dirk Johnson as his holder and he's finally recovered from a sports hernia that plagued him in 2007, but Rackers hasn't been terribly good in the preseason with a missed extra point and kickoff that ended up out of bounds. The Cardinals need Rackers to return to the kicker who made over 93% of his field goals (including 6 of 7 from over 50) in 2005.

Who's on the Nose?: We knew going in that Gabe Watson would probably miss most of camp and we thought that Alan Branch would come into camp and perform well enough to stake some claim to keeping the job permanently. Much to our surprise though free agent veteran Bryan Robinson opened camp as the starter at nose tackle and he's been good enough to keep Alan Branch running with the second string. Robinson is not exactly to type of player that the coaching staff would want as the center of the defense so him starting is more of a result of what Branch has not done than what Robinson has done. Hopefully Watson will be ready to go by the start of the regular season because if he isn't the center of the defense could end up being a weakness for opposing offenses to exploit. Branch also needs to step up and show the ability that made the Cardinals trade up to snag him just one year ago.

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What do you guys think? Did camp make your expectations higher or lower heading into September 7th? Who else exceeded or fell below your expectations?

With half of the preseason behind us and just one more week in Flagstaff, the Cardinals coaching staff doesn't have much more time to make decisions concerning position battles. This weeks game is often considered the 'dress rehearsal' for starters and most of them will play into the second half meaning that playing time for those further down the depth chart will be limited. This will also be the final week of practice and game for a handful of players because teams must cut their roster down to 75 players next week (Aug 26th). Here's how the position battles are shaping up heading into the final week of training camp:

Quarterback: Before last week, I probably wouldn't even have listed this as a battle and I'm still not convinced that it is a legitimate competition, but last week put it back on the radar screen. Warner and Leinart looked awful close in terms of performance Saturday night, but if I had to give an edge to one guy it would probably be Warner. Leinart looked very sharp in the first game and if he continues to perform he should be the starter on September 7th. It'll be very interesting to see who takes the field first this week and how long they play. If one guy plays the entire first half or a little more then the battle is over, but if they both play in the first half, that's an indication that the coaching staff is still undecided.

Fullback: Terrelle Smith started the first preseason game and had a couple of very good plays including a nice catch and run. Tim Castille started the second game and also had a couple of good plays including a touchdown reception. It's possible that both could make the final 53, but teams don't normally carry two fullbacks. Smith is the better blocker but Castille is younger, cheaper and more versatile. Just like with the quarterbacks, keep an eye on who starts this week and how long they play.

3rd Wide Receiver: Steve Breaston has grabbed a hold of this job and he doesn't look like he'll relinquish it anytime soon. He hasn't had much competition because Doucet has been out with a hamstring injury but Breaston has looked explosive and elusive out of the slot and could end up being the perfect compliment to Fitz and Q.

Free Safety: We weren't sure how much competition there would be between Rolle and Francisco, but it looks like the Rolle is entrenched as the starter. Francisco will get on the field quite a bit though in nickel and dime situations. Instead of bringing in a nickel back the Cardinals are going to bring in Francisco and move Rolle into the third corner position. DRC's development throughout the season could change that but for now Rolle and Fransisco will each see significant playing time.

Outside Linebacker: Before Saturday's game, this didn't really register as a competition and truth be told both Bertrand Berry and Travis LaBoy will see plenty of snaps regardless of who starts. LaBoy made a case for himself on Saturday though with six tackles and two sacks. Berry doesn't have much to show for in the preseason yet but his playing time has been pretty limited. LaBoy is still learning the position but if he can continue to rush the passer like he did Saturday, they'll have to find a way to get him on the field early and often.

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That's just about every position battle that I can think of but did I miss any? How do you see these playing out and how will they impact the Cardinals in 2008?

The Cardinals got off to a slow start yesterday but exploded for 14 points in the third quarter to get their first win of the Ken Whisenhunt era. Here's a quick summary of the game according to various reports.

The Good

Travis LaBoy and Defensive Pressure - LaBoy led the team in tackles and added two sacks. Considering that he backs up Bertrand Berry who didn't record a single tackle, LaBoy could be making a serious push for the starting job. Also picking up a sack for the second week in a row was Joe Tafoya. He was considered a 'bubble guy' coming in but if he continues to make plays, they might have to find a spot for him. Clark Haggans also picked up his first sack as a Cardinal.

Penalties - After last weeks performance (6 for 52) the coaching staff has to be pleased with just three penalties for 20 yards. The penalties consisted of a two offsides/neutral zone infractions and a holding. The only penalty that was committed by a starter was an offside penalty by Calais Campbell, who was starting in place of Darnell Dockett.

Quarterback Play - Warner got the start and eventually overcame a slow start (2 incompletions on the first drive) to finish with solid numbers (6 of 9 for 54 yards). He looked a little rusty but shook it off and led the Cardinals to their first touchdown. Leinart would take over on the third offensive series and would almost be picked off on his third pass attempt but a challenge flag overturned the call. He'd continue his slow start for the rest of the first half and his three series of the first half would end up totaling just two of six passing for 13 yards. He'd come out of halftime on fire though (5 of 5 for 49 yards) and his only drive would end in the first passing touchdown of the preseason. St. Pierre and Morelli would play the rest of the game without throwing an incompletion (5 for 5) and St. Pierre would add a TD.

JJ Arrington & Tim Castille - Arrington didn't do a whole lot for the offensive unit with just 18 total yards (13 rushing and 5 receiving) but his 78 yard kickoff return in the 3rd quarter set up the offense with great field position. The beneficiary of Arrington's kickoff return was Tim Castille who would catch the first pass after the return and take in 24 yards in the endzone.

Dennis Keyes - Keyes put the nail in the Chiefs coffin last night.  With Kansas City driving deep into Cardinal territory in the fourth, looking to pull within a score, Keyes picked off a Tyler Thigpen pass and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown.

The Bad

Running Game - The running game never really got going last night. Edge fumbled his first attempt, although it was recovered by Lyle Sendlein, and he'd end up carrying three times on the next drive for 20 yards before giving way to Tim Hightower. Hightower would score the first touchdown of the game from four yards out but his final numbers wouldn't look great (9 carries for 28 yards). The Cardinals as a whole finished up with 76 yards rushing on 21 carries (3.6 yards per carry), but with the lack of depth in the offensive line it's not surprising that the running game struggles once the starters leave the game.

Run Defense - We knew that the front seven would get tested more this week and the results weren't overly promising. They got off to a decent start against Larry Johnson (7 carries for 19 yards on the first three drives), but on the fourth offensive drive for the Chiefs the running game took off with eight carries for 57 yards. The final rushing numbers for the first half, not including the Chiefs' backup QB who scrambled all over the defense, was 76 yards on 15 carries (5.06 avg).

Kickoff Coverage - For the second week in a row the kickoff coverage units allowed the opposing returners to run wild. Last week against the Saints they allowed five returns for 111 yards and this week the Chiefs racked up 139 yards on four returns (34.8 avg). The average starting field position for the Chiefs after a kick off was their own 32 yard line.

The Ugly

Special Teams - Any time a team can say that they missed an extra point and kicked a kickoff out of bounds, they're certainly not bragging. Rackers had a poor game although punter/holder Dirk Johnson said that a bad hold caused the missed extra point. Johnson had a decent game punting though and ended up with a 47.7 yard average and a net average of 41.3. He could have been even better had two punts not gone out of bounds at the 30 yard line. 

Game Time Fellas....The Chiefs should test the Cardinals front seven more than the Saints did last week, but the real test will be if the Cardinals can pick up the first win of the Whisenhunt Era. If you don't live in or around Cardinal Land, you might have a hard time finding this game live, but NFL network will replay the game at 11 pm (central time).

Go Cardinals!!!